Fire
by Nightengale
Summary: The Death Eater attack at the Quidditch World Cup from Arthur Weasley's side. *This is one of my livejournal fanfic100 stories*


The first thing he did was to get the children out of the tent and away. He knew they were confused and scared but there was no time. Arthur had to get them away.

"We're going to help the ministry!" Bill, Charlie, and Percy were beside him, wands at the ready. "You lot- get into the woods, and stick together." He fixed the twins with a look that said, 'you're in charge.' "I'll come and fetch you when we've sorted this out!"

He had smelled the change in smoke first. When he'd gone to bed it had only been a slight whiff of campfire but the stench of burning fabric closer than it should be had made him jump from his bed.

"Dad?"

Arthur turned to Bill who'd spoken and they ran off toward the noise.

"Percy, go and find Crouch. Bill and Charlie, come with me."

Percy ran off to the left with a nod while they continued on. People were running franticly all around them. A witch wearing curlers in her hair, running with her arms in the air, rammed into Arthur, knocking him to the ground.

"Dad!" He heard shouted.

Someone stomped on Arthur's hand and he groaned, pulling it to his chest. Another person nearly tripped over him and Arthur heaved himself away and to his feet.

"Bill? Charlie?" He shouted, but they were no where around.

Pushing through the people Arthur tried to shout above the sound of the crowd.

"Head toward the woods! Everyone try to remain calm and get to the woods."

Arthur didn't seem to be doing much good but in the end it didn't matter since most people were heading in that direction anyway. Arthur could see tents on fire in the distance and people all around were screaming.

"Help! Help!" He heard somewhere.

"No!"

"Get away!"

"Run!"

Arthur turned left and right, trying to decided where to go. Where were his children?

"Arthur!"

Arnold Peasegood suddenly grabbed Arthur's elbow pulling him out of the stream of running people. His robe was torn at the shoulder and he was sporting a bloody nose. Cuthbert Mockridge and Dirk Cresswell were with him.

"What happened?" Arthur asked.

"Woman thought I was one of them and threw her box of money at me. Made five galleons."

Arthur laughed in spite of himself.

"You think he's kidding." Mockridge said, coughing.

"Come on then." Peasegood said. "The squad is trying to control the crowd and get them to a safe distance. Some of the Obliviators have gone to make sure the local muggles are safe. The rest of us are after the Death eaters."

"Alright."

"Cresswell and I are going to help the people in the woods." Mockridge said as they turned off to the left.

Pushing their way through the sea of tents, hot ash, and people, Arthur and Arnold went toward the glow in the distance. Getting closer they could hear the screams more clearly.

"Arnold… what is…"

"Oh my God."

Before them the family of muggles that rented the moor was suspended in the air, turning over and over. The wands of more than a dozen hooded figures were pointed up at struggling and terrified figures. He could laughter and jeers coming from the Death eaters. Arthur felt rage surging through him.

"Vile, inhuman…"

He ran ahead of Peasegood, zig zagging round people and burning tents. Ash threatened to blind him but he ran on. It smelled like the entire field was burning around him. Ahead of him Arthur saw an auror hurling curses at the circle of death eaters. He thought he saw a flash of pink somewhere and he heard Kingsley Shacklebolt's voice.

Sliding to a stop Arthur caught a Death eater in his sights and shouted 'expelliarmus!' The Death eater moved at the last second and heads turned toward him.

"Blood traitor!" He heard and hit the ground as a cruse screamed over his head.

As Arthur rose to his knees someone shouted, "Dad, look out!"

Jerking his eyes to the left Arthur saw Bill pointing but didn't dodge in time. Yelling in pain he fell back again, a quick stab of crucio hit him in the chest. However, the caster must have been distracted because the pain disappeared only a second after it hit him. Arthur struggled to his knees and stood up.

"Dad, you alright?" Bill was beside him.

"Yes, where is Charlie?"

"I don't know, we got separated."

Arthur glanced to the side and suddenly saw a wand pointed at them.

"Bill!" He shouted, shoving him away.

He wasn't fast enough however as the curse caught Bill's arm, flinging him backward. Arthur turned quickly, leveled his arm at the caster, and caught him in the chest with a blasting curse causing his wand to go flying and him to fly five feet back. Whirling around again Arthur kneeled beside Bill. A deep gash was on his arm.

"It's ok." Bill said.

"Bill…"

"No, dad, we've got to go."

Arthur suppressed his parental concern and helped Bill up. As soon as they stood Arnold Peasegood was at Arthur's side.

"I hit one right in that ugly mask they wear!" He was grinning.

"Well, come on." Arthur said.

The three hurried off to the right trying to follow the voices of the shouting aurors.

"To your right! Your right!"

"Follow them!"

"Don't let them get you!"

"Can't anyone get close?" Arthur asked Arnold.

"No, the outer circle keeps shooting off curses all around. Two aurors are already seriously injured.

"Shit…" Bill muttered.

They were close enough now to be able to feel the extra prickle of curse magic in the air. There were aurors in front of them, wands blazing. He saw Kingsley Shaklebolt dive behind a fallen tent.

"Weasley!" A shout suddenly came

Arthur looked and saw one Death eater mask from the circle turned their way.

"Um..." Bill began.

Then the figure raised his wand.

"Arthur Weasley, muggle loving vile scum!"

Arthur pointed his wand but the curse hit him before he could speak; he hadn't even heard the words spoken. It felt like his bones had been replaced with glass and every movement of his body caused stabs of excruciating pain. He fell over gasping.

"Oh, Mer-" He couldn't speak.

He screamed and gasped. Pain at any movement, pain from breathing. It felt like his body was rejecting him, trying to push him out with needles.

"Dad!"

He couldn't' see. His vision was blurred. His fingers hurt, even his fingers felt like they were all broken!

Then it was gone. Arnold was shouting a curse, Bill was at his shoulder, and he was just breathing.

"Arthur, get up." Arnold was speaking.

"Oh…" Arthur kept breathing heavily.

"Come on, Arthur." Arnold grabbed his right hand and Bill grabbed his left. "1, 2, 3, up!"

They heaved Arthur to his feet making him gasp sharply at the after effects of the curse.

"Was it the cruciatus?" Bill asked.

"No… something else." Arthur responded, picking up his wand with a little difficultly bending. "My bones felt like they'd splintered, like glass."

"Is that my… I've got to go!" Arnold said suddenly looking off to the right.

"Where…" But Arnold was sprinting away with no further explanation.

"Dad, look, Charlie." Bill said, pointing off to the left.

Charlie came running up to them, a rip in the front of his shirt. Amos Diggory was with him looking exhausted and red in the face.

"Was helping…" Charlie gasped. "To put out the fires…"

"We managed to contain most of it." Amos continued.

They all nodded.

"Have you seen Percy?" Arthur asked Charlie.

"Yeah, he was organizing people with Crouch."

"You ok?" Charlie asked seeing Arthur's gasping.

However, before he could answer the sound of screaming increased ten fold and Amos shouted, 'look.' They all turned to where he pointed to see the green terrifying glow of the dark mark in the sky above the trees of the woods.

Arthur's body inadvertently trembled, images of his children flashing before him. He apparated.


End file.
